Description
Slow Cooker Jalapeño Popper Chicken Taquitos packed with spicy jalapeños, creamy cheese, and tender chicken for a crowd-pleasing meal!
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 pounds (900g) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 8 oz (226g) cream cheese, softened
- 4–5 jalapeños, seeded and finely diced (about ½ cup)
- 2 cups (200g) shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 4 oz (113g) can diced green chiles, drained
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 18–20 small flour tortillas (6-inch/15cm diameter)
- 3 tablespoons (45ml) vegetable oil for brushing
- Cooking spray
Instructions
- Step 1: Prepare the Chicken Place the chicken breasts in the bottom of your slow cooker. In a medium bowl, mix the garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, salt, and black pepper, then sprinkle this seasoning mixture evenly over the chicken. Add the diced green chiles on top of the chicken. Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours or on high for 2-3 hours, until the chicken is tender and easily shreds with a fork.
- Step 2: Create the Jalapeño Popper Filling About 30 minutes before the chicken is done, place the softened cream cheese, diced jalapeños, and 1 cup of the shredded cheddar in a bowl. Mix until well combined, then add this mixture to the slow cooker on top of the chicken. Cover and continue cooking for 30 minutes to allow the cheese to melt and flavors to blend.
- Step 3: Shred and Mix Remove the chicken from the slow cooker and shred it using two forks. Return the shredded chicken to the slow cooker and stir thoroughly to combine with the melted jalapeño-cheese mixture. The filling should be creamy, well-mixed, and hold together nicely. Let it cool for about 10-15 minutes until it’s easy to handle.
- Step 4: Preheat and Prep Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Warm the tortillas according to the pro tip mentioned earlier to make them pliable. Lightly coat the baking sheets with cooking spray to ensure the taquitos don’t stick.
- Step 5: Roll the Taquitos Place about 2-3 tablespoons of the chicken filling slightly off-center on each tortilla. Sprinkle a pinch of the remaining cheddar cheese on top of the filling. Roll the tortilla tightly around the filling and place seam-side down on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining tortillas and filling, spacing them about an inch apart on the baking sheet.
- Step 6: Bake to Perfection Brush each Slow Cooker Jalapeño Popper Chicken Taquito lightly with vegetable oil, which will help them crisp up beautifully. Bake for 15-20 minutes until the taquitos are golden brown and crispy. Keep a close eye on them after the 12-minute mark to prevent over-browning. Allow them to cool for 5 minutes before serving to avoid burning your mouth on the hot filling.
Notes
Fresh ingredients will always yield the best flavor results.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 taquito
- Calories: 215
- Sugar: 1g
- Sodium: 306mg
- Fat: 11g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 17g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 12g
- Cholesterol: 46mg